Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/809

 THE PRESENT STATUS OF SOCIOLOGY IN GERMANY 793

"slave morals" must prevail. Stirner teaches anarchism of an individualistic sort, not the communistic anarchism so well known today. His theory is also more objective than Nietzsche's, not merely in its form of presentation, but also in its entire con- ception. In distinction from Nietzsche's individualism he fastens upon "egoism" as an objective psychical factor, and makes unlimited egoism an objective social postulate.

Anarchism finds Stirner a support, but both he and Nietzsche give aid and comfort to the most recent movement in social philosophy, which is turning from social democracy to social aristocracy. The bent toward aristocracy is supposed to be toward satisfaction of individualistic wishes and inclinations.

There is an anonymous writer 1 who attempts to unite his social instincts with his individualistic inclinations so as to con- struct an objective social system. The title of the book betrays the author's social instincts. The individual has for him no independent value. He is worth considering and entitled to existence only in so far as he is of service to the whole. Of the era of civilization which his book is to introduce, the author declares: "It recognizes the individual only as an aristocrat, i.e., in so far as he is actually better than the rest by virtue of his personal qualities " (p. 109). These qualities appear only in social services, in work for the people. An aristocrat is therefore only he who performs useful and valuable labors for his nation.

The essential doctrines of this author may be condensed into a few sentences. He recognizes two forces which hold a society primarily, a nation together, and make it great; first, indus- trial force, and, second, procreative force. The latter is the more important. If natural increase of population is so great that there is overcrowding, colonization is necessary and salutary, for among other things war will cease, because national bound- aries will come to include more than the territories of the fatherland.

The author's attitude toward private property further shows his way of mediation between socialistic and individualistic

1 Volksditntt. Von einem Socialaristokrtten. Berlin und Leipzig, 1893.